Syrian foreign minister to visit Qatar, UAE and Jordan this week

The top diplomat in Syria’s new leadership said Friday he will make official visits to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan this week, having just been to Saudi Arabia on his first trip in office.

“This week, I will represent my country, Syria, on an official visit to our brothers in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” its foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in a statement on X.

“We look forward to these visits contributing to support stability, security, economic recovery, and building distinguished partnerships,” he added.

Earlier this week, Shaibani headed a high-ranking delegation to Riyadh that included the new government’s defense minister and intelligence chief.

It was the first foreign visit by Syria’s new rulers since they ousted president Bashar al-Assad last month.

The new government is eager for investment from Gulf states to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure and boost the economy, shattered by more than a decade of war.

Last week, in an interview , Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said “Saudi Arabia has a major role in Syria’s future,” adding that the Kingdom has major investment opportunities in Syria.